In a #TimesUp world, strong females aren’t hard to come by, from women speaking up against injustice to marching in protest. In young adult literature it’s no different with female characters literally fighting for their freedom so here, in no particular order, are my top ten strong female characters in young adult literature.
Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Hermione is the brains of the Golden Trio and let’s face it, Harry wouldn’t have made it through the first book without her. She is also the glue that holds the trio together through seven books and eight movies. She is a badass character written by an equally badass writer.
Clary Fairchild from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
In the first book of this series, Clary is thrown into a completely different world she didn’t even know existed when her mother goes missing. She quickly adapts to her new world, learns to fight and takes all the new information in stride as she journeys to find her mother.
Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
This one is a no brainer, she’s the face of a rebellion and the girl on fire.
Lena Duchannes from The Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
When we meet Lena she has been struggling internally for years and yet she keeps going, keeps fighting. She fights for the things she wants even when the world seems to be working against her. She fights her supposed destiny for the destiny she chooses.
Mia Hall from If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman
One could argue that there is nothing harder than holding on when everyone is telling you to let go. When Mia and her family are involved in a deadly car crash she lands in the hospital with life threatening injuries. She shows incredible strength and bravery in making the hardest decision one could make.
Beatrice (Tris) Prior from The Divergent series by Veronica Roth
Tris leaves the world she grew up in behind to pursue her life they way she wants to and discovers strength she didn’t know she possessed on the way. Leaving the familiar for a different life requires a special kind of courage.
Lucinda Price from the Fallen series by Lauren Kate
Over and over Luce shows her strength by embracing her long and troubled past instead of running from it. She accepts her past so she can change her future. Not to mention diving headlong into danger to save someone else’s life.
America Singer from The Selection series by Kiera Cass
America shows us that you can sacrifice for your family and still fight for the future you want. And she does it in heels and dresses with a smile on her face.
Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
Rose is the definition of a badass and doesn’t take anything from anyone. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and would go to the ends of the earth to protect them.
Lucy Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Lucy is the heart of the four Pevensie children. She isn’t a fighter and is quite young when she embarks on her first adventure but she shows her strength in other ways nonetheless.